You can also practice double clutching in p/u truck with a standard transmission,you can also float gears in a p/u with a standard transmission.
Obviously not quite as many gears but you will get the general idea because floating gears in a p/u you also have to get the rpm's right for it to work.
had my first lesson today with the tractor trailer
Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by snowbird_89, Sep 15, 2009.
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the transmissions are synchronized? i was use to driving the 6 speed kenworth T300's when i got my class B CDL. i thought that transmission was synchronized. 10, 13, and 18 speeds are synchronized? then why are they harder to shift than a 6 speed?
what is the difference between synchronized and unsynchronized transmissions? -
Synchronized transmission is one with built-in mechanisms to automatically equalize the speed of its gears with the engine rpm's to allow smooth shifting without the need to double-clutch. -
Danny 379, 10's, 13's etc are not hard to shift, once you know how to do it. You CANNOT shift a big truck as you would a Toyota etc. You may have or have not noticed that EVERYTHING you do in a big truck is at a slower speed that a car, right? You cannot accelerate as fast, stop as fast, SHIFT as fast etc. There is absolutely no reason, whatsoever, for any driver to grind gears when shifting. If he's grinding, he needs lessons. Here's another tip for you. When you are at a stop sign and need to get into gear and it wants to grind, put it in 4th, then into your forward gear (1st or 2nd). Just like slicing butter with a hot knife.
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The only part of a truck transmission (10, 13, 15 18spd etc.) that has synchronizers is the range box. Even the automated mechanicals (eaton ultashift etc.) arent synchronized; the engine's computer does the same job as a driver floating gears. There are synchronized truck transmissions like the six speed eatons in straight trucks, which are fully synchonized, and also the five speed with two speed rear end types that were quite common a few years ago, but you won't see those in much of anything larger than a 33,000 gvw straight truck. Anything the average OTR driver will deal with is a plain old run of the mill crashbox. Either double-clutch or float 'em. I prefer the latter myself.
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Danny 379, I goofed. I googled 'synchronized transmissions' and there is tons of info re: heavy truck trannys. Much to my surprise, heavy truck trannys are not synchronized. Hey, I'm a driver, not a mechanic..... At any rate, shifting is easy once you get it down.
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JustSonny and muscletruck7379 Thank this.
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